Back-band buckle.



B. W. B. ADKINS.

BACK BAND BUCKLE.

APPLICATION Plum JUNE 20, 1910.

1,012,575. Patented Dec.26, 1911.

Inventor W Attorneys Witnesses comm. Pumoamum co wnsnmtrw. me.

BENJAMAN WILLIAM BARTON ADKINS, OF SALISBURY, MARYLAND.

BACK-BAND BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed June 20, 1910. Serial No. 567,903.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, BENJAMAN W. B. AD- KINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salisbury, in the county of Wicomico and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Back-Band Buckle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harness of that type particularly designed for use in connection with agricultural machines such as plows, cultivators, etc, and which is usually provided with chain traces.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel form of buckle to be used in connection with harness.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a back band having the present improvements applied thereto, portions of the trace being removed and the position of one of the reins being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a section on line A-B Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a plate constituting the base of a buckle adapted to be used in connection with a back band. This plate has transversely extending slots 2 and 3, the slot 2 being located adjacent one end of the plate while the slot 3 is arranged close to an off-set 4 from which extends a tongue 5. This tongue has spaced openings 6 therein disposed adjacent opposite sides thereof and outstanding ears 7 are formed u on the sides of the plate 1 at the ends 0 the slot 2.

7 These ears constitute bearings for trunnions 8 extending in opposite directions from a clamping member 9. A looped handle portion 10 extends from this clamping member and serves not only as a means for shifting the clamping member but also as a guide and support for the rein 11.

The back band 12 may be formed of a broad strip of fabric or leather and is inserted through the slots 2 and 3 and between the plate 1 and the member 9. It will be apparent therefore that by swin ing the loop 10 against that portion of the and between the slots 2 and 3, the member 9 can be forced into engagement with the band and thus lock the plate 1 against downward movement relative to said band.

The rope trace 13 is adapted to be extended through the openings 6 and one end thereof is connected to a loop 16 for engaging a swingletree. The other end of the trace is also connected to a hook 19 for engaging a hame ring.

Obviously the trace can be bodily shifted through the openings 6 in tongue 5 and thus cause the back band 12 to rest upon the animal at any point desired. By thus shifting the back band relative to the trace engaging loop or eye 16, the inclination of the traces between the back band and the farming implement to which the traces are attached may be varied and, in the case of a plow, the depth of the furrow thus regulated.

By disengaging the member 9 from the back band 12 the plate 1 can be adjusted to any desired position upon the band.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the s irit or sacrificing any of the advantages 0 the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is A harness buckle constituting a flat base having parallel transversely extending slots, outstanding ears upon said plate and adjacent the ends of one of the slots, said slots constituting means for receiving the back band of harness, said plate having a transversely extending off-set and 9. depending tongue integral with the ofl'-set, said tongue having spaced trace receiving openings adjacent the side thereof, a clamping member having trunnions bearing Within the outstanding ears, said member being shiftable against that portion of the back band between the slots in the base plate to bind the band upon the plate, and a looped handle extending from the clamping member and toward and laterally beyond the off-set, said handle constituting a rein guide.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 10 as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMAN WILLIAM BARTON ADKINS.

Witnesses:

ROBERT G. ROBERTSON, WILLIAM E. HAWKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

